Maintenance treatment for anorexia nervosa: a comparison of cognitive behavior therapy and treatment as usual.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to compare two maintenance treatment conditions for weight-restored anorexia nervosa (AN): individual cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) and maintenance treatment as usual (MTAU).


METHODS
This study was a nonrandomized clinical trial. The participants were 88 patients with AN who had achieved a minimum body mass index (BMI) of 19.5 and control of binge eating and purging symptoms after completing a specialized hospital-based program. Forty-six patients received 1 year of manualized individual CBT and 42 were in an assessment-only control condition (i.e., MTAU) for 1 year. This condition was intended to mirror follow-up care as usual. Participants in both the conditions were assessed at 3-month intervals during the 1-year study. The main outcome variable was time to relapse.


RESULTS
When relapse was defined as a BMI <or= 17.5 for 3 months or the resumption of regular binge eating and/or purging behavior for 3 months, time to relapse was significantly longer in the CBT condition when compared with MTAU. At 1 year, 65% of the CBT group and 34% of the MTAU group had not relapsed.


CONCLUSIONS
The current findings provide preliminary evidence that CBT may be helpful in improving outcome and preventing relapse in weight-restored AN.
Carter
Jacqueline C
JC
Department of Psychiatry, Toronto General Hospital, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada. jacqueline.carter@uhn.on.ca
McFarlane
Traci L
TL
Bewell
Carmen
C
Olmsted
Marion P
MP
Woodside
D Blake
DB
Kaplan
Allan S
AS
Crosby
Ross D
RD
D000856:Anorexia Nervosa / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000628:therapy*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology; D002032:Bulimia / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000628:therapy; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D012008:Recurrence; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult